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Itinerary for Mar 2 — Mar 7, 2014

Description: The Clarion Hotel Historic District features 143 well-appointed guest rooms. On-site recreational offerings include a fitness center, an indoor heated pool with whirlpool and a game room. The hotel also offers great food and entertainment at the Bourbon Street Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Walking distance to Colonial Williamsburg and two miles to Busch Gardens.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: $69p+ ($89+ sp. event wknds)Make arrangements directly with the hotel. Limited rooms available at the discounted Road Scholar rate. Rate not available if hotel is sold out. Reservations require credit card guarantee. Cancellation must be made 48 hrs prior to arrival to avoid charge.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day One: Sunday, March 02 - Arrival and Check-In

Afternoon: 4:00 pm Arrival/Check-in. Program registration
Class: "Williamsburg and Colonial Williamsburg", An introduction to the colonial town and its restoration, undertaken through the vision of a local minister and the generosity of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Dinner: Enjoy a good, traditional style dinner with a Southern accent, served buffet style in a private dining area. All dinners for the week will be in this venue.

Description: The Clarion Hotel Historic District features 143 well-appointed guest rooms. On-site recreational offerings include a fitness center, an indoor heated pool with whirlpool and a game room. The hotel also offers great food and entertainment at the Bourbon Street Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Walking distance to Colonial Williamsburg and two miles to Busch Gardens.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: $69p+ ($89+ sp. event wknds)Make arrangements directly with the hotel. Limited rooms available at the discounted Road Scholar rate. Rate not available if hotel is sold out. Reservations require credit card guarantee. Cancellation must be made 48 hrs prior to arrival to avoid charge.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day Two: Monday, March 03 - Jamestown Island

Note: The visit to Historic Jamestowne includes an extended walk of nearly a mile over slightly rolling terrain on paved and gravel paths. Participants who may have difficulty with the walk can remain in the Visitor Center which offers both detailed exhibits and a fascinating "in the round" video of the Jamestown story.

Breakfast: Start the day with a generous buffet breakfast in our private dining area.

Morning: Class: "Archaeology and the Rediscovery of Jamestown", A fascinating, in-depth look at the incredible Jamestown Rediscovery Project that has been underway for over a decade at the site of the original fort built by the first English colonists to establish a permanent settlement in North America. The fort was long thought lost to erosion by the James River but through the perseverance of a dedicated team of archaeologists it has slowly been revealing its incredible secrets. This visually supported two session lecture is usually delivered by the Head Curator of the project.

Lunch: A lighter mid-day fare will be served in our private dining area.

Afternoon: Field Trip: "Historic Jamestowne" Visit the site of the original fort and view the area now under investigation by archaeologists. Depending on the season, you may see members of the team actively working at the dig. Historic Jamestowne also includes a new Visitor Center with introductory film and exhibits, recently completed as part of the upgrades of the island for the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. There will also be time to explore the incredible exhibits of artifacts uncovered at the dig in the architecturally unique Archaearium, with a "see-through" floor that lets you view the foundation of the 17th century statehouse.

Dinner: Dinner will again be at the hotel in our private dining area.

Evening: Performance: "A Lady of the Seventeenth Century" What better way to experience the 1600's than to meet someone who "lived" long ago? Enjoy a conversation with a delightful interpreter who will make you feel that you are truly speaking to an early colonist as she shares tales of triumphs, tragedies, and the mundane activities of daily existence.

Description: The Clarion Hotel Historic District features 143 well-appointed guest rooms. On-site recreational offerings include a fitness center, an indoor heated pool with whirlpool and a game room. The hotel also offers great food and entertainment at the Bourbon Street Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Walking distance to Colonial Williamsburg and two miles to Busch Gardens.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: $69p+ ($89+ sp. event wknds)Make arrangements directly with the hotel. Limited rooms available at the discounted Road Scholar rate. Rate not available if hotel is sold out. Reservations require credit card guarantee. Cancellation must be made 48 hrs prior to arrival to avoid charge.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day Three: Tuesday, March 04 - Field Trip to Jamestown Settlement

Note: The full exploration of the Settlement includes an extended walk down and back up a gently sloping hill. In addition, participants can board one of the reconstructed ships via a gangway and investigate the decks by climbing steep, narrow stairs. Those who may prefer a less active visit can explore at their leisure the extensive galleries in the indoor museum. Special exhibits on the second floor can be reached by elevator.

Breakfast: Breakfast in our private dining area.

Morning: Class: "Slavery in the 18th Century" Explore the evolution of slavery from its roots in the 17th century as it changes from a form of indentured servitude to lifelong bondage. Consider the impact of the institution on families, both black and white, the African cultures brought to America, attitudes toward race, and other facets of the lives of both masters and slaves. Learn about the changes in colonial laws that both reflected and institutionalized the status of Africans in colonial Virginia. Class: "Colonial Williamsburg's Native Peoples" Trace the interactions of Indians with the government and settlers of early Virginia. Learn about the many different tribes with whom the colonists interacted as they moved farther and farther into the wilderness. Investigate the changing roles of the tribes as they negotiated not only with encroaching settlers, but also with other Indian groups, and as war approached, with the competing factions among the colonists.

Lunch: A lighter mid-day fare will be served in our private dining area.

Afternoon: Field Trip: "Jamestown Settlement" Now that you have explored the Real Thing on Jamestown Island, enjoy a guided exploration of the Jamestown Settlement museum and reconstructed early colonial environment. Here you will have the chance to investigate exciting interactive exhibits in the newly renovated museum, stroll through a village of the Eastern Woodland Indians, talk with settlers in the fort, and walk the decks of the three ships which brought the first adventurers to Virginia in May, 1607. These reconstructed venues will allow you to see what life was like in the early 17th century, fleshing out the story that you saw in artifacts and outlines at Jamestown Island on Day Two's trip. Sufficient time is allowed for some exploration on your own.

Description: The Clarion Hotel Historic District features 143 well-appointed guest rooms. On-site recreational offerings include a fitness center, an indoor heated pool with whirlpool and a game room. The hotel also offers great food and entertainment at the Bourbon Street Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Walking distance to Colonial Williamsburg and two miles to Busch Gardens.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: $69p+ ($89+ sp. event wknds)Make arrangements directly with the hotel. Limited rooms available at the discounted Road Scholar rate. Rate not available if hotel is sold out. Reservations require credit card guarantee. Cancellation must be made 48 hrs prior to arrival to avoid charge.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day Four: Wednesday, March 05 - Colonial Williamsburg, Tavern meal

Note: The walk through the Historic Area is on level, pebbled streets, extending for about a mile and a half with few opportunities for rest.

Breakfast: Breakfast in our private dining area.

Morning: Class: "Colonial and Revolutionary Tidewater: Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown", A detailed look at the three towns that make up the Historic Triangle of Virginia, tracing the colonial history from its rude beginnings on a swampy island to its flourishing in the 18th century and ending with its transformation to a new nation on the Revolutionary battlefields around the little village of Yorktown
Field Trip: "Colonial Williamsburg" Take a guided walking excursion to the Wren Building at the College of William and Mary and the historical Duke of Gloucester Street, heart of Colonial Williamsburg. This walk will highlight some of the most interesting features of the Restored Area, including the reconstructed Capitol, Governor's Palace, and tradesmen's shops, without going inside. Later in the day you will be able to explore in depth on your own those venues which have the greatest appeal to you.

Lunch: Enjoy the ambiance of a Colonial Tavern as you are entertained by strolling musicians and local personalities from the past. Taste southern comfort food in the charm of Shields Tavern, a reconstructed building with a history all its own. In the 18th century, public houses were gathering places for residents and travelers. Partake of a dining experience similar to one enjoyed by patriots like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry.

Afternoon: Free Afternoon. No transportation provided to or from the various sites you may want to visit. During this time, if you choose, you can remain in town and visit the Colonial Williamsburg buildings and gardens that most appeal to you, based on your morning overview. The Restored Area is approximately a quarter mile from the hotel, an easy walk past fenced fields where horses and oxen often graze.

Dinner: Dinner will again be at the hotel in our private dining area.

Evening: Class: "A Woman's Place" The status of women in the colonial era was very different than it is today, and not just because they could not vote. Explore the world of 18th century women of all classes and colors in this presentation. Learn about the "sphere" in which they were expected to function, centered on home and family. Find out how women stood legally and how some enterprising ladies found ways around the restrictions of their time and place. You will find out why you should follow Abigail Adams's admonition to "Remember the ladies."

Description: The Clarion Hotel Historic District features 143 well-appointed guest rooms. On-site recreational offerings include a fitness center, an indoor heated pool with whirlpool and a game room. The hotel also offers great food and entertainment at the Bourbon Street Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Walking distance to Colonial Williamsburg and two miles to Busch Gardens.

Note: The walk along the earthworks is fairly strenuous because of the steep sides of the works. Those who might find this difficult can remain in the Visitor Center and explore the galleries until the group returns. Likewise, they can remain on the bus if the walk at Surrender Field appears to be too long for them.

Breakfast: Breakfast in our private dining area.

Morning: Class: "Colonial and Revolutionary Tidewater: Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Part II", A continuation of the topics begun on Day Four, with time for review, questions, and answers.
Performance: "Rare Colonial Instruments", Enjoy the amazing talents of an accomplished musician as he introduces a variety of fascinating instruments typical of the Revolutionary era.

Lunch: A lighter mid-day fare will be served in our private dining area.

Afternoon: Class: "Revolutionary War and Yorktown", An introduction to the course of the Revolutionary War in the Tidewater area, including descriptions of military life and maneuvers and Washington's campaign that trapped British Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, leading to his surrender and eventually to American independence.
Field trip: "Yorktown Visitor Center and Battlefield" First explore the Visitor Center with its introductory film, museum, and gift shop. Then take a guided bus and walking excursion to the battlefield where the climactic events of 1781 unfolded. Look out over the siege lines as you visualize the opposing forces facing off. Finish with a stop at Surrender Field where the defeated British turned over their arms to the victorious American and French forces as their musicians played "The World Turned Upside Down".

Dinner: Dinner will again be at the hotel in our private dining area.

Evening: Performance: "An Evening of African-American Music and Storytelling", A talented singer/storyteller will entertain you with a sweeping journey through several centuries of African-American tradition as it evolves from its roots in Africa through its transformation during years of indentured servitude and slavery to its triumph in freedom in the mid-nineteenth century.

Morning: Class: "Plantation Life in the Colonial Era" An investigation of the evolution of rural Virginia society, looking at the social and economic structures of the agrarian plantation life from the viewpoints of both master and slave.
Performance: "Meet a Woman of the Town of York: Martha Goosley", A delightful interpretation of life in colonial Yorktown that completes the cast of colorful characters that have provided a glimpse into this long ago time during the course of this eventful week.

Lunch: Pick up a box lunch with sandwich, fruit, chips, cookie, and beverage before heading home.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Free Time Opportunities

Williamsburg

Tidewater Area: Williamsburg/Jamestown and YorktownOur Road Scholar programs are filled with fascinating and informative classes, field trips, excursions and extracurricular activities. The day-by-day itinerary details what you will see and do. The schedule includes a free afternoon during the week to pursue your own interests; otherwise, there will be only a few hours of unstructured time per day. Because the Road Scholar schedule is so full, there will be little opportunity for independent exploration of other sites in the Williamsburg area. We suggest you consider taking time before or after the program to enjoy local attractions. The Colonial Williamsburg website, www.history.org, includes a detailed calendar of events that you might want to investigate. Websites for other area attractions such as Jamestown and Yorktown will have additional information.

Important information about your itinerary: Please know that while we do everything we can to finalize all aspects of our programs well in advance, there are logistics that occasionally must be altered. Our website will reflect the most recent information, and we are committed to providing you with final program details no later than eight weeks prior to the start of programs outside the U.S. and three weeks prior to the start of programs within the U.S. If you ever have questions about your program, please don't hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

Need Help?

The latest in light, portable, easy-to-use QUIETVOX listening devices are available on Road Scholar programs.* Whether you are outdoors, in a crowd or in a museum environment where speaking loudly is discouraged, a listening device makes it feel like our experts are speaking clearly and directly to you. Hear for yourself on a Road Scholar adventure!

*Please note that due to the nature of some programs, the remote location or government regulations, listening devices may not be available. If you’d like to know for sure if your program will offer listening devices, just call and ask an Advisor!